Riipen

What Riipen does

Riipen Networks Inc. is a Vancouver-based, privately held experiential learning platform founded in 2014 that connects colleges, universities, and workforce development providers with employers and students through project-based work experiences. The cloud-based platform supports employer-student project matching, project management (milestones, work logs, feedback, reporting dashboards), payment processing for paid student projects, and white-label institutional portals with SAML SSO. The core product spans solution areas including Career Catalyst, Workforce Development, Work-Based Learning Programs, and Project-Based Internships, and is extended by more than fifteen branded programs such as Level UP, Advance Ontario, EPIC, CIC Work-Based Learning Consortium, ICTC Beyond the Cloud, RBC Future Launch/REACH UP, and the 2026-launched Career Connected Campus.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct enterprise sales to educational institutions, self-serve freemium onboarding for employers, and channel partnerships with government workforce agencies, industry associations, and corporate sponsors. Revenue derives from three streams: recurring subscription fees from colleges and universities for platform licensing, transaction-based service fees on employer-funded student projects, and professional services tied to enterprise implementations. Employer access is free, while many student experiences are funded by government and philanthropic partners (Government of Canada I-WIL, Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, Google.org, RBC, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation) that subsidize student stipends.

At an 11–50 employee headcount, Riipen has scaled the network to 760+ educational institutions, 53,000+ employers, and 318,000+ learner experiences representing 20.9 million hours of applied learning. Cumulative disclosed funding is approximately $5.8 million across rounds dating from 2014 through 2019, with a $3.75 million round in December 2019 led by Reach Capital, Strada Education Network, ASU ScaleU, Atrium Capital, EduLab Capital Partners, Entangled Group, and SEI Ventures. The company is a corporation incorporated under the laws of British Columbia, Canada, and remains privately held with no parent or disclosed institutional ownership structure.

Name

Riipen

Legal name

Riipen Networks Inc.

Website

https://riipen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Riipen is a Vancouver-based experiential learning platform that connects 760+ educational institutions and 53,000+ employers to deliver project-based work experiences for students, operating via subscription, transaction fees, and funded government and association programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Work-Based Learning Platform

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Internship/Apprenticeship Matching & Work-Based Learning Platforms (EDAFAMAL)

Keywords

• Experiential learning platform
• Work-based learning software
• Project-based learning platform
• Workforce development solutions
• Employer-student matching platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Platform Fees from Educational Institutions: Educational institutions (colleges, universities) pay for access to the platform to integrate experiential learning into their curriculum. Pricing likely varies by institution size and contract terms.
2. Paid Student Projects Transaction Fees: When employers engage students for paid projects, Riipen facilitates payment processing and retains a service fee. The Terms of Service state 'Once we receive payment from you, we will remit the amounts paid for a Paid Student Project (less our service fee) to the Student directly.'
3. Enterprise Implementation and Support: Larger institutional implementations with dedicated support, custom portals, and strategic partnership components may include professional services elements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Riipen is a cloud-based experiential learning platform that connects educational institutions, employers, and learners through real industry projects. Employers post project-based work, educators integrate these projects into academic curricula, and students complete paid work experiences for college credit. The platform facilitates project matching, payment processing, milestone management, feedback workflows, and outcome reporting across 760+ educational institutions and 53,000+ employers globally.

Product overview

Riipen is a unified experiential learning platform that connects educators, employers, and learners through real industry projects. The core Riipen Platform serves as the central hub for work-based learning, enabling employers to post projects, educators to integrate them into curriculum, and students to gain practical experience for college credit. Built on this core platform are multiple solution areas (Career Catalyst, Workforce Development, Work-Based Learning Programs, Project-Based Internships) and numerous specialized programs (Level UP, FuturePath, Advance Ontario, Ascent UP, EPIC, CIC, DTTP, Impact Projects, Complete College America, Study and Stay Career Connect, PACE SkillRISE, TCC Skills Lab, Riipen Labs, ICT Ignite, ICTC Beyond the Cloud, Tech Talent Boost Washington, Eco Pathways, BUILD, RBC Future Launch/REACH UP, CAEL, and Achēv Innovations in FinTech). Supporting the platform are resources including Riipen Academy for best practices and the Riipen Help Center for documentation. The platform has facilitated over 318,000 student work experiences across 760+ educational institutions and 53,000+ employers globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Riipen Labs: A program offering hands-on learning experiences for learners through real employer projects.
• Level UP
• FuturePath
• Advance Ontario
• Ascent UP
• EPIC
• CIC Work-Based Learning Consortium

Products and services

• Riipen Platform A project-based learning platform that connects educators, organizations, and learners to collaborate on real industry projects. Employers post projects, educators integrate them into curriculum, and students complete real-world work for college credit, with built-in project management, payment processing, and reporting.
• Career Catalyst An experiential learning solution within the Riipen platform that helps educators prepare students for career success through real work experience, improving employability outcomes.
• Workforce Development Platform A solution partnering with workforce development providers to create equitable career-advancing opportunities, allowing students to enhance career readiness through real work projects.
• Work-Based Learning Programs Authentic learning experiences structured to empower students to apply classroom knowledge through employer-designed projects.
• Project-Based Internships Work-based learning offering connecting educators and employers to integrate real projects into course curriculum, providing resume-building experiences for students.
• Level UP Program empowering student talent from top Canadian schools with fully subsidized, 60-hour remote internships that bridge learning and work. Students receive a $1,400 stipend funded by the Government of Canada's Innovative Work-Integrated Learning (I-WIL) Initiatives.
• Advance Ontario Program connecting underserved Ontario students with local employers for remote, paid work experiences, funded by Ontario Ministry of Colleges & Universities, providing 2-8 week internships involving 60 hours of work at $1,400.
• FuturePath Program connecting students with local employers for remote, paid work experiences, helping students build skills while completing employer-led projects on the Riipen platform.
• EPIC (Employer Provided Innovation Challenges) Initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation connecting learners and workers with real-world, employer-sponsored projects through a national network of business associations.
• CIC Work-Based Learning Consortium
• RBC Future Launch / REACH UP
• Career Connected Campus Enterprise solution for colleges and universities enabling integration of employer-connected work-based learning across all majors, courses, and student populations, addressing rising graduate underemployment (42.5% as of March 2026) by providing real employer projects across every year of study.
• Community College Initiative (Google.org/ACCT)

Quantifiable outcome

• 318,000+ student work experiences facilitated
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026ACCT announced a three-year initiative to embed virtual project-based learning into short-term workforce training at 20 community colleges nationwide. Supported by Google.org funding and built with Riipen, the program connects students with real employer-designed projects in IT, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. Worcester Polytechnic Institute leads instructor development.
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Center for Project-Based LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWPI's Center for Project-Based Learning leads instructor development for the ACCT community college initiative, providing expertise in project-based learning pedagogy.
• Colleges and Universities (Educational Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRiipen connects 760+ educational institutions including universities, colleges, and polytechnics with a network of 53,000+ employers globally. The platform integrates employer-connected work-based learning into academic programs.
• Level UP Program (Government of Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLevel UP is a fully subsidized 60-hour remote internship program funded by the Government of Canada's Innovative Work-Integrated Learning (I-WIL) Initiatives. Students receive $1,400 stipends; employers access skilled talent at no cost.
• Advance Ontario (Ontario Ministry of Colleges & Universities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram connecting underserved Ontario students with local employers for remote, paid work experiences. Funded by Ontario Ministry of Colleges & Universities. Involves 60 hours of work over 2-8 weeks, $1,400 stipend for students.
• EPIC (U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC) is an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, made possible by support from American Student Assistance, Walton Family Foundation, and Stand Together Trust. Connects learners with real-world employer-sponsored projects through a national network.
• RBC Future LaunchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRBC and Riipen's REACH UP program aims to increase access to work-integrated learning for Canadian post-secondary students. Since 2019, delivered over 27,000 WIL experiences. Focus on underserved communities.
• Council of Independent Colleges (CIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIC Work-Based Learning Consortium is a national initiative to integrate WBL into curriculum of small and midsized independent colleges. Benefits 25 member institutions, impacting up to 11,250 students through employer-designed projects embedded in courses.
• Complete College America (CCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCA and Riipen partnered to integrate AI education with work-based learning in higher education. Initiative brings together five open-access institutions to equip students with AI skills and real-world experience.
• ICTC (Information and Communications Technology Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICTC Beyond the Cloud program develops job-ready workers through training and remote employer-led projects. Employers access skilled professionals at no cost including database administrators, cloud engineers, DevOps specialists, and back-end developers.
• Tech Talent Boost WashingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn partnership with North Seattle College and powered by Riipen, connects Washington-based employers with emerging tech talent through fully-subsidized 40-hour digital tech projects in web/app development, cloud computing, and data analytics.
• Lighthouse Labs (ICT Ignite)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to accelerate pathways into Canada's tech sector. Connects aspiring tech professionals with hands-on employer-led projects, equipping them with in-demand skills and real-world experience. Goal to support 1,700 Canadians.
• ECO CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECO Canada has partnered with Riipen to provide pathways into Canada's environmental sector through hands-on employer-led projects. Offers work experience in sustainability, research, policy, and conservation through the Pathways to Environmental Careers program.
• Diverse Tech Talent Program (DTTP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between World Innovation League, Atila, Co.Lab, Riipen, and Skillhat to address underrepresentation of Black Canadians and newcomers in tech. Offers specialized training, mentorship, and work experience for participants aged 18-35.
• CAEL (Where It Starts: Build Better Careers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to redefine career pathways through subsidized work-based learning in the financial services sector. Creates equitable opportunities for adult learners, particularly women and BIPOC individuals.
• Colorado Community College System (CCCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact Projects program connects Denver-area employers with top tech talent through 40-hour fully-subsidized projects in data analytics and IT support. Part of CCCS Rapid IT Training and Employment Initiative (RITEI).
• Achēv Innovations in FinTechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Achēv to help internationally trained fintech professionals break into Canada's fintech sector. 12-week program with 450 hours of employer-led projects providing hands-on experience.
• JVS (BUILD Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUILD program connects Canadian employers with architecture and design talent through 200-hour fully-subsidized projects. Learners trained in architectural design and construction management complete projects for employers at no cost.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Chegg Inc. Chegg is a large public edtech company offering student support services including tutoring, study tools, and career/Internships.com-style services. While not focused exclusively on experiential learning, it competes for institutional partnerships and student mindshare.
• LinkedIn (Microsoft): LinkedIn's job-matching, recruiter tools, and LinkedIn Learning platforms serve the same student-employer and skill-development use cases that Riipen addresses. As a broad incumbent with massive data advantages, it competes for employer recruiting budgets that could otherwise flow to Riipen.
• Symplicity: Symplicity is an established higher-education software provider offering career services, student conduct, and accessibility solutions. Their career-services platform competes with Riipen at the institutional level and is often already integrated with campus student information systems.
• 12Twenty: 12Twenty provides career-services and alumni-engagement platforms to universities, competing with Riipen for institutional contracts in student-employer engagement and is increasingly embedding experiential-learning features.

Direct peers

• Handshake: Handshake is the dominant career-services and student-employer matching platform for US colleges and universities, directly competing with Riipen's core marketplace of connecting learners with employer opportunities. Both serve the higher-education employability use case with multi-sided network models.
• WayUp: WayUp is a job-matching platform focused on connecting college students and recent graduates with employers for internships and entry-level roles. It overlaps with Riipen's employer-student matching value proposition, especially for US universities.
• Parker Dewey: Parker Dewey runs a micro-internship platform that connects college students with paid short-term projects from employers - functionally the closest direct competitor to Riipen's project-based experiential learning model, targeting the same institutional and employer buyers.
• Forage: Forage delivers free virtual work-experience programs (job simulations) co-designed with employers, directly competing with Riipen for the same university employability and employer branding use cases, often in partnership with the same institutions (e.g., US college systems).

Emerging players

• Intern Abroad HQ / Virtual Internships: Virtual Internships connects students with remote, project-based internship experiences globally - a more specialized overlap with Riipen's remote, paid project model, particularly relevant for the international and remote-learning segments Riipen targets.

Regional players

• JobTeaser: JobTeaser is the leading student-to-employer matching platform in Europe, integrated with hundreds of universities. While geographically distinct from Riipen (primarily EU vs. North America), it is comparable in product and business model and represents a potential future competitor if Riipen expands internationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/riipen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/Riipen
• Facebookfacebook.com/riipen
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/riipen-networks-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/riipennetworks/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors12 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Riipen